This I Promise You
by Amor-Sorprendente
Summary: AU. Tom Riddle returns during Harry's second year at Hogwarts. This leads Harry to a whole new life than in the books, ultimately changing Harry's life forever and introducing him to a new love.
1. Very Much Alive

A/N: OK then. First things first, I do not own Harry Potter, or the song This I Promise You. I have no claims to either of these things, otherwise I wouldn't be writing on here. Also, thanks for checking out this story. I don't have a beta, so any mistakes you see are my own. I don't really have a lot of patience to spell check my own work, but there shouldn't be that many mistakes. Also, I do have a kind of outline for this story and it WILL be a Bella/ Harry story. So, if that's not your thing, this might not be for you. But, anyways, enjoy!

Oh, and this takes place in Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He just got out of the Chamber, only he didn't think to stab the diary with the basilisk fang, so Tom Riddle is alive.

"Lord Voldemort will return. Very much alive."

At this, Harry heard Dumbledore sigh, before they looked back at the scene playing out in hazy Technicolor before them.

Dumbledore watches as Harry kills the basilisk, before seeing the life drain slowly out of Ginny Weasley. They watch as Fawkes appears just in time to save Harry from the end of Tom's wand, and as Harry reaches a hand out to Ginny's body, the three of them, Harry, Ginny, and Fawkes, disappear in a flash of fire.

With that the memory ends and Dumbledore and Harry find themselves standing next to the pensive once more.

"Professor, what happened…? Where is… Is You-Know-Who still in the castle?" Harry questioned hesitantly, seeing the strained look on the Headmaster's face.

"I doubt it very much Harry. You see, Tom has just gained his body back and is not nearly strong enough to fight against myself and the other professors. He will need time to regain his strength and power. He will likely also want to rebuild his 'army', so to speak," Professor Dumbledore explained.

"His army, Professor?"

"Years ago, Tom Riddle was one of the strongest Dark Wizards, and as such, he attracted followers, with promises of power, wealth, and glory. However, after his fall from power, many of his most devoted followers were put in Azkaban, the wizard's prison." After this explanation, Harry could tell their conversation was nearing its end. "But that is a story for another day, Mr. Potter. For now, you need to return to your dorm and get a good night's sleep."

As Harry trudged back to Gryffindor Tower with Professor McGonagall at his side, he kept reliving the events of the previous day, and his conversation with the Headmaster. Harry and Ron had made it into the Chamber of Secrets, but they had failed in their effort to save Ginny. Once in the Chamber, he had been surprised to find that it was Voldemort, or as he was known when he was younger, Tom Riddle, controlling Ginny. Riddle had then set the Basilisk on Harry, while it appeared the handsome, ghost-like features of Tom had grown more solid and real. With help from the Sorting Hat and Fawkes, Harry killed the Basilisk. Riddle had then challenged Harry to a duel, which ended with Harry on the ground at wand-point, and Ginny dead. It was at this moment that Fawkes had returned and saved Harry and Ginny's body, before stopping to pick up Ron and Professor Lockhart as well. Fawkes took them to Dumbledore's empty office, where they had to wait only a moment before Professor McGonagall arrived.

Harry and Ron retold their stories to Professor McGonagall, who then fire-called Dumbledore through the floo. The students were all locked in their dormitories, with the other professors as well. Harry spent the night in Dumbledore's office, retelling the story, and resting as the Headmaster fire-called several people, and wrote letters to others.

The night in the Chamber was a blur to Harry, for the most part. However, he could not forget the sight of Ginny's limp body, her eyes closed, and her chest no longer moving. The Weasleys had come in the morning to see their children, and to retrieve Ginny's body. Harry hadn't spoken to any of them.

Harry had been told that the next day all students would be returning to their homes, and he himself would be returning to Privet Drive. He wasn't sure if he was sad or relieved to be leaving Hogwarts. Truthfully, after the trauma of the last few days, Harry wanted to just be left alone, and after his treatment by the Dursleys the previous summer, he thought that same treatment quite likely this summer as well.

Once Harry and Professor McGonagall reached the Tower, he continued on to his dorm, and his bed. Harry collapsed onto his bed, before falling into a dark, dreamless sleep.

Albus Dumbledore was an old man. He was tired already of leading the wizarding world into another war against Tom. He did not think the wizarding world ready to face war for the second time in so few years. Tom Riddle, or Lord Voldemort, as he now preferred, had indeed returned.

After listening to Harry and viewing his memories of the event, Dumbledore knew that Tom Riddle had ensconced pieces of his soul in several objects, making Horcruxes, as he had previously thought. But now, with the diary, it was confirmed.

He had hoped that Harry would have a few more years to prepare to fight Voldemort, as Harry was nowhere near strong enough nor experienced enough to stand a chance against Tom Riddle, even in his weakened form.

Immediately after learning of Tom's return, Dumbledore had contacted several members of the old Order of the Phoenix, and several other important individuals who would be able to help him fight against Voldemort. They would need to start planning as soon as possible in order to stand a chance in winning this war. The only consolation was that at the present moment, many of Tom's staunchest supporters were safely locked away in Azkaban. But even Dumbledore knew this would not remain the case for long. It was only a matter of time before Tom broke his followers out of Azkaban, recreating his deadly army.

But, as he told Harry, that was a worry for another day, for now, his weary bones needed a rest.

Tom Riddle observed himself his newly conjured mirror. He had retained the body of his school-age self, yet had the memories and knowledge of his older self. Unfortunately, his new, or old depending on how you looked at it, body was not strong enough yet to perform many dark spells. For now he would have to be content with using the simple 'Expelliarmus' and 'Protego' to defend himself.

Lord Voldemort had fled the school quickly after the Potter boy had escaped with the body of the blood-traitor girl. He knew Dumbledore and most likely the old hag McGonagall would immediately know of his presence in the school. So he had apparated to Malfoy Manor, the home of the Lucius Malfoy, one of his few followers not in Azkaban.

To say Lucius had been shocked upon his arrival would be an understatement. He had blinked and stammered, and was annoying in general for a good minute at least, before he finally came to his senses and bowed, kissing the robes of his newly resurrected master.

Lord Voldemort strode into the manor, before claiming the master suite as his own, and telling Lucius that there should be no interruptions as he was to be planning a mass breakout of Azkaban. He then took great joy in shutting the door in Lucius's stammering face. For now, he needed to plan. But first, his new body needed rest.

Thanks for reading. I would absolutely love it if you left a review, particularly about my writing style. Thanks!


	2. A True Politician

A/N: I _still_ don't own Harry Potter or the song This I Promise You. I don't own any of these characters, or the last sentence in this chapter. That one comes from whoever wrote Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. I'm trying to get chapters up pretty quickly. But since I don't write ahead (which I should probably start doing), it might be one- two per week. Also, thanks to Proud Mudblood, I have become aware that in the first chapter I never actually address what happened to the bit of Voldemort's soul that had possessed Quirrell. I'm trying to figure that one out, since JK Rowling never actually explained it. For now, just know that the two bits of soul- the one from the diary and the one that never actually died all the way- have merged into one, and are using the body of young Tom Riddle. So, Tom Riddle has the body and limited power of his teenage self, but the memories and knowledge of his adult self. Also, still no beta. So any mistakes belong to me. If you'd be interesting in being a beta, feel free to PM me. And thanks so much for all the reviews!

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"Headmaster, there's something you need to see." Severus Snape never particularly liked his job as a double spy. However, his job had recently become infinitely more difficult with the return of his previous Lord, who, if he ever found out that Snape was a double spy, would kill him 'faster than you could say quidditch,' to borrow a phrase from Madame Hooch. That still didn't mean that Severus relished the prospect of showing the front cover of the Daily Prophet to the elderly, but still quite powerful Headmaster.

"What is it Severus? I trust it is important, as I do recall you are supposed to be terrifying some young students right now in their Potions lessons," Dumbledore commented blandly, but with a twinkle in his eyes.

Snape thrust the front page of the Daily Prophet into the Headmaster's face, nearly knocking over the bowl of lemon drops that had been sitting before the Headmaster. Across the page, in bold, unmoving letters, it read, "Mass Breakout from Azkaban."

The Headmaster quickly scanned the following text, although he had already learned everything he needed to know from the moving pictures accompanying the article. The grimy and screaming faces of Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange were side by side. But the most contradictingly recognizable but yet unrecognizable face on the page was the image of Bellatrix Black Lestrange. Her striking good looks had faded into the gauntness created by Azkaban, but it was the maniacal glint in her eyes that made her one of the most recognizable witches in England. The eldest Black sister had been the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts during her school years. Most surprisingly, though, her personality was what had changed most. When she was young, Bellatrix had been disarmingly charming to those who mattered, had been the top in all her classes, had viscously protected her younger sisters, and often her lips were quirked up in a small smile. She was not unlike Sirius Black, if not for her unhealthy interest in the Dark Arts.

Albus knew that this news complicated things quite a bit. Most, if not all, of the Dark Lord's avid followers were now free, and many, such as Lucius Malfoy, enjoyed prominent positions in the Ministry. And with the crude and rash Lestranges now on the loose, the war would escalate rapidly. However, the Headmaster also knew that after eleven years in Azkaban, the escapees would need time to heal and gain their strength back.

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Bellatrix Black Lestrange had always considered herself the most beautiful girl, no matter whose company she was in. The visage reflected back at her in the dirty mirror, however, told a different story. Her thin, frail hands traced the sharp lines of her now very prominent cheekbones, before falling into the gaunt hollows that once were her cheeks. Her lips, once full and rosy, were now thinner, and were cracked and slightly bleeding. Her hands fell from her face to rest in her lap. Her hair, the long, dark, tangled mass of curls that fell down between her shoulder blades, hadn't seen conditioner or a brush in years. Bellatrix Black Lestrange stared at the monster in the mirror, and was surprised to see one lone tear fall slowly down its face.

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Lord Voldemort had always known that his followers would never be completely classified as sane or normal. That didn't mean he was not surprised to find that the Ministry had classified his most loyal Death Eater as _officially_ insane. Lucius Malfoy had been ever-so-kind enough to retrieve some documents pertaining to Bellatrix Lestrange that the Ministry had been very adamant about keeping private (after a little harmless threatening of the use of either the Cruciatus or Imperius, of course). The papers were the official Ministry health reports of all the Death Eaters that had been tried before being sent to Azkaban. While awaiting their trials, the Death Eaters had been screened for any contagious diseases and also underwent mental assessments, as was normal for all wizards and witches awaiting trial.

Bellatrix Lestrange's examiner had apparently classified the witch with the _muggle_ disorder of disordered schizophrenia. "Mrs. Lestrange exhibits many of the symptoms associated with schizophrenia. She appears to have troubles with sleeping, making friends (although this could be due to her unparalleled support of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named), and paying attention. During my examination of Mrs. Lestrange, she had troubles expressing her desires correctly (except for her wishes relating to 'Her Master,' as she referred to him), and exhibited disordered behaviors. By this I mean that she would be child-like in one moment, speaking is a sort of baby-ish voice, before snapping back into a cold, cruel demeanor, which only lasted until she would begin yelling and screaming in rage. This cycle was exhibited repeatedly."

At this Lord Voldemort paused, thinking back on his interactions with the witch in question. While these behaviors were the case, he believed it to simply be proof of her dedication to the cause. He knew she was an intelligent, brave woman who was also one of his best duelers. There was no way Bellatrix Lestrange could have schizophrenia, a disease which plagued _muggles_.

However, Voldemort was curious as to why these documents were kept top secret. He knew who _would_ know, or would be able to find out. With one press to the Dark Mark now burned into his forearm, he summoned Lucius Malfoy.

"My…my Lord?" Voldemort did not ever think he would _not_ be annoyed with Malfoy. The man was too slimy for his own good, and had absolutely no courage.

"Lucius. I would like to know why these… documents… were kept hidden. Surely there was no need to keep this information from the public; releasing them would have only done the Ministry good, nobody would have questioned placing Bellatrix in Azkaban had they known this information."

Lucius paled. He knew his master would not appreciate the Ministry's actions. "My Lord, in the Wizengamot, there is a stipulation that if a witness is found 'clinically insane,' their testimony in the court can be struck from the record and not taken into consideration when it comes time to find the witness guilty or not. And as Bellatrix was -is- not mentally…stable, her testimony declaring that she had tried to find you, My Lord, by torturing the Longbottoms, could have been… unusable, in declaring her sentence. Her classification also, had she been made aware, could have given her the opportunity to claim that she _was_ mentally unstable, and, as such, not responsible for her actions. And the Ministry could not have that."

"Lucius, you and I both know Bellatrix would never have denied her actions, nor her responsibility for them."

"Yes, my Lord, but the Ministry underestimates her loyalty to you. They do believe it to be due to her… disease."

Voldemort clearly was struck by this statement. "And you, Lucius? Why do you believe Bellatrix is loyal to me?"

"One may never know, my Lord. Motives are complex, and Bellatrix's more than most. But I suspect she will forever be loyal to you and your cause, as she has already demonstrated."

"Ah, Lucius. Spoken like a true politician."


	3. The Order of the Phoenix

A/N: And here is the third chapter of our tale. I'm sorry for the wait- having a full time job has really cut back on writing time. But I'll try to keep up with this story. Also, I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two at midnight last night. And... I'm not quite sure how I feel. I need to watch them in a row to really see how it wraps up the series. But... overall, it was good. I just need time to... let it set in. It's over. More or less. Anyways, here's chapter three. Enjoy! (And thanks for all your reviews and everything!)

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"I would like to welcome you all, even though this may not be the best of situations." Albus Dumbledore stood in front of a long table, around which were several witches and wizards, including Kingsley Shaklebolt, Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Mad Eye Moody.

"Now, I do believe most of you know each other, so we're not going to bother with introductions. It is of the upmost importance that we begin right away. As you all know, it was only a little over a decade ago that we were all here before, only with several more members. And today we're here for the same reason; Lord Voldemort has returned."

At this statement, the faces of the members of the Order of the Phoenix became much more serious. The people around the table had all see the effects of the last war with You-Know-Who. Their friends and families had been terrorized, and many people had been killed.

"As I'm sure you all know, Lord Voldemort has already taken it upon himself to break his Death Eaters out of Azkaban," Dumbledore continued. "While this does not pose an immediate effect, it will make our mission much more difficult. For now, the freed Death Eaters remain too weak to do us much harm. At the moment, we need to concentrate on the Death Eaters and others sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause inside the Ministry. This includes Yaxley and Malfoy, as well as an assistant to Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge. They are believed to be the biggest threats."

The faces around the table nodded, signifying their understanding. "Kingsley, can I trust you and Nymphadora to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior in the Auror Department?"

"Of course, Headmaster," replied Kingsley, as Tonks nodded in agreement, only the reddening of the ends of her hair betraying her annoyance at being called Nymphadora.

"Good. Well, on that note, there is not much else for us to discuss. I will contact you individually as necessary. For now, I would suggest you go and enjoy what I'm sure will be the last few days of calmness."

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In the dark hallways of Grimmuald Place, the members of the Order gathered after the meeting. Many of them were eager to meet the young Mr. Potter, whose parents had been friends of theirs.

Harry and Hermione were to be staying at Grimmuald Place for part of the summer. The Headmaster had already seen to it that Harry had stayed at his relatives' house long enough to still call it home, and as such, there were only four weeks remaining until the start of the new school year. The only real event that had happened over the summer was the mass breakout from Azkaban, and all had been quiet since then.

Members of the Order had been coming and going for the past few weeks, where Remus and Nymphadora, or Tonks, as she preferred to be called, were staying. Harry and Remus had become fast friends, with Remus regaling Harry with tales of the four Marauders- himself, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. However, it was a sad picture for Remus, as James was dead and Sirius was still in Azkaban for murdering Peter.

Remus, Tonks, Hermione, and Harry were in the process of cleaning Grimmuald Place, trying to make it suitable for human habitation again, after so many years of belonging to the Black family, and then years of abandonment. It was a long process, as the house had acquired a myriad of pesky and dangerous creatures, not including the cantankerous house elf, Kreacher, who had the odd habit of mumbling insulting phrases under his breath.

This evening, several people were to be staying for dinner, including Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, and Andromeda. Harry and Hermione, who had seen the Daily Prophet and the stories about Bellatrix Lestrange, were curious about her and Sirius, who had grown up with Andromeda.

"I know what Sirius was like at school- Remus told us all about him- what was he like when he was younger? And what about Bellatrix Lestrange, what was she like? Was she crazy?" Hermione questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her, as she forgot that Bellatrix was actually at one point Andromeda's beloved sister.

"Sirius and Bella were quite similar, actually. They both loved a good prank, which I'm sure Remus has told you about Sirius. But Bella was just as mischievous. I remember once she bewitched Narcissa's hair invisible. Oh, Narcissa had a fit until it became visible again. She swore she'd gone bald and kept crying about how now she'd never find a boyfriend. Bella thought it absolutely hysterical. Bella and Sirius both were stunning, and charming, a dangerous combination. They were also incredibly persuasive, which helped them with their pranks. When we were all kids, they really were inseparable. But then Sirius got sorted into Gryffindor while we were all placed in Slytherin. I think Bella was jealous; she always wanted to get away from our overbearing family. But Sirius and I were the only ones who got out, Bella and Narcissa were just sucked in deeper."

Andromeda's eyes took on a pensive look; she sat still, staring at a point of the opposite wall. "Bella started…changing. She could be perfectly normal one moment, then be yelling and screaming the next. That's when she met L…Lord….Lord Voldemort." Andromeda stuttered over the name of the man who tore apart her family, but she was a firm believer that 'fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.' And although Lord Voldemort and Bella's… disease, as she saw it, had stolen her older sister from her, she would be damned if she was afraid of either.

"Severus, have you any news?" Lord Voldemort relied heavily upon his most trustworthy follower, and he knew it. He saw Severus's appointment of Potions Master at Hogwarts and Dumbledore's 'right- hand man' as most advantageous to his cause.

"They are using an old Black manor as their headquarters, my Lord. However, there are strong enchantments in place by Dumbledore himself that keep anyone, myself included, from knowing the location of the Headquarters." Severus knew that the Dark Lord would appreciate the information given, and with a little Legilimency, would know the truth of the information. But it wasn't important; Dumbledore had given him permission to admit that the Order was using an old Black property for their Headquarters.

"Very well, Severus. Your information is most… appreciated." The Dark Lord stood at the head of a long wooden table, with his Death Eaters looking up at him. Around the table sat Severus, the Lestranges, the Carrows, Greyback, Yaxley, Malfoy, and Antonin Dolohov.

"Lucius, Yaxley. Have we any success at the Ministry?"

"N…Not yet, my Lord. We still have not had time to Imperius Fudge's aides. But once we do, we will be able to get to Fudge, the imbecile," responded Lucius, stammering at the admittance of his failure.

"See that you do, and quickly. I gave you until the end of the week. Two days. I need Fudge in two days. Without their Minister, the Ministry will fall. And who will be there to pick up the pieces?" The Dark Lord looked around the table, waiting for one of his servants to answer.

Bellatrix finally spoke up, her scratchy voice echoing in the bleak room. "We will, my Lord. We will take the Ministry, and finally put all muggles, mudbloods, half-bloods, and blood traitors in their place," she spat.

"Yes, Bellatrix. We will restore purebloods to their proper place. Remember that those who turn against us will not be spared, and failure within our ranks will not be tolerated." With these last words of warning, Voldemort ended the meeting. He had carefully observed Bellatrix through the whole meeting, noting with pleasure that she seemed no different from normal, with her intense hatred of muggles, and those associated with them. Bellatrix had continued to display her violent and rash tendencies, and her manic personality switches, but the bitterness in her voice and the disgust written across her face reassured him that Bellatrix would remain loyal to his cause.


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